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Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) has revealed that it plans to build Japan's first LNG-fuelled tugboat, which will be able to run on either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or heavy fuel oil.

The project to construct an LNG-powered tug comes two years after NYK established a team to research next-generation fuel alternatives to heavy oil, and looked into building an LNG-fuelled vessel with the cooperation of ship classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) and others, based on the results of a survey conducted by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency.

LNG was examined as a possible alternative to heavy oil because LNG does not emit any SOX and produces far less CO2 and NOX than heavy oil. In fact, using LNG as a fuel would cut the new tugboat’s emissions of CO2 by about 30%, NOX by about 80%, and SOX by 100% compared to using heavy oil, according to NYK Line.

The LNG tug project will be subsidized by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd. will supply the LNG, and with the support of Tokyo Gas Co., NYK Line says it will make arrangements for a safe LNG supply system.

"The NYK Group will aggressively continue to encourage initiatives to mitigate environmental loads by vessels," NYK Line said.